Gemma Hayes: C/D?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Got Night On My Side last week - it really has grown on me something awful. Like Nina Nastasia but not quite as lovely - still very good though.

Thing is, everything I've read about her mentions her wanting to sound like My Bloody Valentine, and I just can't quite get the comparison - she has loud guitars every now and then, yes, but so do lots of other people. Sounds a bit more like the Delgados, to be honest. Not that that's bad or anything...

― Mr Swygart, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

IS THIS NEW ILM? IS THIS?

I've read the interviews about her liking MBV too, she mentions it as many times as she mentions her dislike for Dido. Rock on Gemma, rock on. Vaguely pleasant guitars with a big Dave Fridmann wank all over the tracks I've heard.

I hope her career is short.

― Ronan, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I HAVE NO IDEA. IS IT?

― Mr Swygart, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyway my point was I was ambivalent about Gemma Hayes until I read these interviews. Now I think she's quite pretentious and also deserves a good slating due to this constant Mogwai MBV namedropping thing she does. She was saying the exact same thing more than a year ago.

She's getting praised everywhere and I want someone to point these things out to her, preferably by screaming them in her face in the style of the mildly humorous tango ads of the mid 90s.

― Ronan, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Aye, I do rather agree. Everything I have ever seen written about her does refer to MBV, which she doesn't really sound much like at all, and Joni Mitchell, which is also fairly wide of the mark.

I still think it's a very good album though.

― Mr Swygart, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Was there a shouty Tango ad? I don't remember that one.

― Dom Passantino, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Blackcurrant bloke. Though I can't help but think Ronan would like to incorporate the Orange bloke's hands of slapping. Unless he means the one with the mini loudhailers that got banned for disturbing children.

― Mr Swygart, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Gabba Gabba Heys!?
They're Melbourne's greatest Ramones tribute band.

― Keith McD, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I bought the first and second eps but I'm not sure I want to shell out for the album, there's sonic youth to spend my measley euros on. The music is .. pretty, with some thick guitar here and there. Her PR hasn't been bad at all, got two pages in the Sunday Times culture with her first EP. Not going to rock the world though. Don't think they'll need to sell earplugs at her shows.

― Major Alfonso, Saturday, 8 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Her most recent single is one of my favourite songs of this year. I think her voice and songs are both lovely. I'm just glad she isn't another "girl with acoustic guitar", because I don't ever need to hear another one. I'm glad I haven't read her interviews though, because having any preconceptions based on any of the above would have spoiled things a bit

― electric sound of jim, Monday, 10 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Having said that, I've just been listening to the new album and bits of it remind me of Ani Difranco, and Alanis Morrissette. I hope this feeling goes away.

― electric sound of jim, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

eleven months pass...

I've just been importing this onto my iTunes because I'm hawking it on ebay - it is a very nice album though. And she's a mighty purdy lady.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 22 May 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

You have to understand I can't like this stuff because Dublin indie is an army of satanic lizards.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 22 May 2003 09:52 (twenty-two years ago)

it is empty music isn't it? what single point of interest can there be in her songs for anyone who hears them? can you imagine being a gemma hayes fan? i heard her album and it was like staring out of a window where the view is of a grey brick wall just 3 feet away.

― pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 22 May 2003 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

You have to understand I can't like this stuff because Dublin indie is an army of satanic lizards.

There must be some sort of potion or spell that will sort that out.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 22 May 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree Pete, I also wonder at her fake american accent.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 22 May 2003 10:06 (twenty-two years ago)

can you imagine being a gemma hayes fan?

well yeah. i am one. feel free to eat my fuc of course.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 22 May 2003 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

haha! don't mind if i do...

― pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 22 May 2003 12:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I thoguht the album was OK when I reviewed it but I can't remember bugger all about it now.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 22 May 2003 12:40 (twenty-two years ago)

my girlfriend likes gemma hayes quite a lot. i think she's ok - a little drab, but some decent tunes. i liked that "Ain't you the lucky one" song, i'm not sure if that's the title. i was puzzled by the MBV comparisons, sounds more alt-country-ish to me. gemma hayes is also rather foxy - there was an excellent picture on the cover of the event guide recently!

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 22 May 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

i also saw her sing live with sparklehorse. she did backing vocals on "homecoming queen". it was good.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 22 May 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

gemma hayes is also rather foxy
Can I agree without being all "Calum" about this?
http://www.theatron.de/2002p/img/gemmahayes.jpg

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 22 May 2003 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

My mate Karim interviewed her and got her phone number, but the bugger misplaced it. he informs me that she's not as pretty in real life, and that my real g/f is prettier, so I'm not arsed.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 22 May 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Good for you, Nick!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 22 May 2003 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

He said she had 'no tits', to be precise.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 22 May 2003 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

But Nick, does this mean if Gemma Hayes *was* prettier than your g/f, you'd have called Gemma and dumped g/f just like that?

Also, has your g/f released an album, and, is it any good?

― pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 22 May 2003 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Best to be precise, yes.

Nick's g/f's album R0XX, it's like Fischerspooner meets Avril in Weimar Germany!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 22 May 2003 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

She needs to leave the Lilith Fair numbers off the next album

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 22 May 2003 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

which ones do you mean? i hope you don't mean the "ain't you the lucky one" song, jim ;-)

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 22 May 2003 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

can't remember the titles - would need to go back and check. it's a bit of a shame she left the bloody excellent "I worked myself into a calm" off the elpee

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 22 May 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

think i've seen her around a few times
she is as good looking in real life,but i never thought much of her music

― robin (robin), Thursday, 22 May 2003 23:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i didn't really give it a chance though,to be fair

― robin (robin), Thursday, 22 May 2003 23:39 (twenty-two years ago)

five years pass...

'The Hollow of Morning' is really rather good, in a (quiet) Beth Orton meets MBV kinda way. Very seductive.

― SeekAltRoute, Wednesday, 2 July 2008 05:04 (seventeen years ago)

i heard one of the songs off this and wasn't blown away. i'll have to inevstigate though. apparently her and kevin shields are making a real collaborative full record sometime though. sometime.

― schlump, Wednesday, 2 July 2008 09:35 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

Agreed on the goodness. "Out of Our Hands", "Home", "At Constant Speed" - all wonderful. Bought a signed copy from Newbury Comics and figured I'd get the second album at the same time (which never came out in the U.S., did it?). Wish I'd have sprung for the import in 2005, now. Both stellar to my ears.

― scampering alpaca, Wednesday, 8 October 2008 19:42 (seventeen years ago)

dud in a saw-her-at-atp-and-it-was-really-boring kind of way. i think sometimes i am disappointed when people turn up with some really standard band, but with her it was extra dud. i kind of like some of the records, but gemma as rock quartet = lame.

― schlump, Wednesday, 8 October 2008 21:06 (seventeen years ago)

i never did hear her second album, although i have the happy sad single. should search that out...

― jonty alouette (electricsound), Wednesday, 8 October 2008 22:31 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah, she was on the bill unannounced between Spectrum and MBV out here and...um. As a female friend said, "This sounds like music for the first season of Felicity."

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 8 October 2008 22:34 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

there is a time and a place for her kind of music at that time and place is in my office in the rain on friday at 4:12pm. I'm not sure it is very interesting but it is more interesting than what I'm doing.

― akm, Saturday, 24 January 2009 00:13 (sixteen years ago)

two years pass...

dipping heavily into the 2nd and 3rd albums lately, i think 'roads don't love you' might be nearly as good as the debut? i think this stuff has aged pretty well. hope there's a 4th record sometime soon.

― down in the eustachian tube at midnight (electricsound), Friday, 11 February 2011 00:02 (fourteen years ago)

All of her music is the definition of "growers" - we play her album at work fairly often but I doubt I would be able to recognise the songs or identify her as an artist without the familiarity. Still, I think a push in the right direction from a strong producer or something that could bring out an extra side of her would be potentially very interesting and enjoyable.

― o0o00h really? (boxedjoy), Friday, 11 February 2011 16:47 (fourteen years ago)

three months pass...

New album "Let It Break" out now. Yum! :-)

http://www.gemmahayes.com/images/index_r1.jpg

― ***** (SeekAltRoute), Saturday, 4 June 2011 04:10 (fourteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.